Portrait

Who's Who? Which person do I know?

I find it interesting can contradictory that casinos would be classified as a restricted area for photography whereas photography of a window of a home, porch, or lawn would be considered appropriate at anytime.  In my opinion, casinos, though a privately owned-business, is no more different than other public places like schools or other businesses which can be allowed if there are no objections.  The only reason I could imagine that a casino would be more restricted than other places would be because of capturing the cash handling of the casino emplyees which could result in releasing sensitive information, but I would still consider that a stretch in comparison to being able to take photographs in a more personal/private environment like the home or hospital where only permission is needed or none at all.  This same question crossed my mind when doing the Document assignment because I felt a little uneasy documenting other people's homes without the permission.  I did have the concern that someone who be upset if they saw me taking a picture of there home which is why I tried to keep my distance and tried not to identify any individual persons living there.  I still believe there is a fine line between what is acceptable when taking such private photographs and permission required when doing so, for both ethical and legal reasons.  And the fact that a casino is considered to have more restrictions than does a hospital or rehab center is shocking to me since what takes place at the latter is much more personal/private than someone gambling and could be considered a violation of the patient's privacy.

When taking the photographs for my Portrait Set, I had to choose two individuals, one who I knew and one who I did not.  Those who viewed my photographs had to decide which person I knew solely based on the image.  The images can be deceiving on who I knew because they look similar, which was one of the difficulties when taking the photographs.  I had to ask myself, "Do I take a picture of a person I do not know without them knowing or do I ask their permission?"  Even though it would not be illegal for me to not ask permission, I felt that it would be more ethical to ask and it also allowed me to have the photographs look more personal than they could have otherwise.  So the question is, "Who do I know?"

Top Photo: KNOWN

Bottom Photo: UNKNOWN